Many mobile devices are capable of operating on different wireless networks. For example, many cellular phones are “multi mode,” i.e., capable of operating on two or more different types of wireless networks, such as a code division multiple access (CDMA) network and a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network. While some areas, and even whole countries, may use one type of wireless network, other areas and countries may utilize a different type of wireless network, or even have several network types in the same or different areas.
While a mobile device may be capable of communicating on these different networks, such a mobile device may need to determine or update certain operating parameters in order to operate properly or more seamlessly. For example, such dual mode mobile devices may be capable of using different types of networks in different countries. However, to enable many location-based features, the mobile device may need to determine the country from which it is operating. For example, for a user to call another party residing in another country using phone numbers stored in an address book, the mobile device may need to determine which outgoing country code to use before dialing the stored phone number. While such information may be readily available on one type of wireless network, it may not be available on another.